Panic has officially set in for the Padres, who have fallen out of playoff position by dropping nine of their last 11, now trailing Cincinnati by a game for the National League’s final Wild Card berth. Looking for a scapegoat amid the team’s recent struggles, the Friars shook things up Monday by firing pitching coach Larry Rothschild, who has been replaced by bullpen coach Ben Fritz. "Larry has been a tremendous asset for our organization over the last two seasons and we appreciate the experience, hard work and dedication that he brought to the position,” said manager Jayce Tingler in a statement issued by the team. “We wish him nothing but the best in the future."
Prior to joining San Diego in 2020, Rothschild had worked on Joe Girardi and Aaron Boone’s staffs in New York, serving as Yankees pitching coach from 2011 until his firing after the 2019 season. A former right-handed reliever who appeared in seven games at the major-league level, Rothschild was the first manager in Rays franchise history, presiding over the expansion club from 1998-2001. He’s also coached in the Reds, Marlins and Cubs organizations.
In spite of a loaded pitching staff led by Yu Darvish, former Cy Young winner Blake Snell and 21-year-old phenom Ryan Weathers (son of ex-big-leaguer David Weathers), the reeling Padres have slumped to a 4.83 ERA since the All-Star break, 10th-highest in the majors over that span. Injuries to Chris Paddack and Dinelson Lamet—the latter a Cy Young finalist in 2020—have only made matters worse. Meanwhile a daunting upcoming schedule with challenging September matchups against the division-rival Dodgers and Giants suddenly have the Padres—a team that began the year with World Series aspirations—fighting for their playoff lives.
How much blame Rothschild deserves for San Diego’s second-half swoon is debatable, but losing has consequences and unfortunately, he was the collateral damage.
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